of hamilton



. S. ISLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FIXATION 0F ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I5| 1917.

Patented septyl, 1919.

IIIIIIIIIII ff UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SIMPSON ISLAND, or HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, AsSIGNOn or snvnNrYrnn lOEN'I. To EDWARD P. COLEMAN, or HAMILTON, ONTARIO, cANADA. n

APPARATUS FOR FIXATION ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pabnted Sept. 16, 1919.

Application mei November 1s, 1917. serial No. 202,225.

. To cl/Z whom t may concern 'Be itknown that I, JAMESv SIMPSON ISLAND,a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city ofHarmlton,

coun-ty of Wentworth, Province of Ontario,4

in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in an Apparatus for Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen,described in the following specifi-4 cation and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal object of this invention is to materially reduce the costof producing oxids of nitrogen and to devise an apparatus which willproduce conditions to effect the fixation and recovery of the maximumquantity of atmospheric nitrogen and which will require the minimum ofattention in operation,

A further object is to devise an apparatus which will produce acontinuous zone of electric flame with which the air is brought intoassociation in such a manner as to create the maximum of flame area fora given electrical pressure.

A still further and important object is to devise a structure in whichthere are no deli* cate parts to get out of order and in which wear anddeterioration are reduced to the minimum.

The principal feature. of this invention u consists in the novelconstructionV and arrangement of parts whereby an annular passage isformed between the electrodes through which a current of air is directedto engage the' annulus of flame, formed between the electrodes, midwaybetween yits points of emanation from said electrodes and effecting thedistension of said flame in a double walled tubular formation projectingsubstantially in right angular relation to the outer faces of theelectrodes, and whereby the resulting gases are liberated into. anexpanding cooling chamber. v

The accompanying drawingV is a longitudinal diagrammatiosectional viewof 'a furnace constructed in accordance with this invention.

In the diagrammatic form of the device shown the electrode l, is ofcylindrical form having a flat outer face 2,'and a central cir- Air isfed t0 the chamber 4 through a conduit 5 by means of a suitable fan orpump. An electrode ring 6 is detachably secured to the face 2 andsurrounds the opening 3.

The inner electrode 7 is of substantially cylindrical form and isarranged centrally within the opening 3, the flat 'outer' face 8 thereofbeing arranged substantially in the same plane as the outer face 9 ofthe electrode ring 6. The central electrode is supported in a bearing10, suitably insulated from the outer electrode 1 and adapted to berotated therein. It will thus be seen that a flow of air is directedoutwardly through the annular space 11, formed between the inner andouter electrodes in a direction substantially at right angles to theouter flat faces of the electrodes.

The inner electrode 7 is preferably provided with a plurality of radialprojections 12 to facilitate the starting of the electric arc and uponthe rotation of this electrode a complete zone of electric flame isestablished I .electric flame has been distended from the ends oftheelectrodes to a distance of about eighteen inches, with an electricenergy of 52 kilowatts at 1600 volts across the are. The consequence ofthis action is that the air is subjected to the electrothermal influenceof the ame in an elongated annular strata. The densest and hottestportion1 of the flame is at its base or the points of emanation from theelectrodes and the fixation of the nitrogen is mostly effected betweenthe base and some point intermediate of the length of vthe flame and asthe flame is distended it becomes thinner and cooler and with theinfluence of the constant flow of air the temperature is reduced in sucha manner as to avoid a reversible reaction in the ionized gases.

A tubular casing 13 provided with a lining 14 of di-electric material issecured to and electrically insulated from the electrode 1 and extendsoutwardly therefrom to inclose the tubular flame and at the outer end ofthis casing is arranged a suitable cooler iwhich is here shown in theform of a fthus li erateddirectly into an expanding cooling chamberwhich further reduces the i temperature.

It is important that the terminal faces of the electrodes should bearranged in substantially the same plane and that the outer electrodeshould not extend beyond such plane in the direction of flow of the air,otherwise the pressure of air will cause the flame to follow suchextension and result in the air forcing its way through the weaker partof the arc. The result of this would be a material difference in theoxidizing effect from that which is produced by having the flamedistended uniformly from each electrode.

It' must be understood that the drawings here shown are merelydiagrammatic and that any details of construction may be altered withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

This application is directed to substantially the same subject-matter asmy pending application S. No. 199,615, filed @ctober 31 1917 and issubstituted there-for.

l-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for the fixation of atvmospheric nitrogen, a pair ofelectrodes having an annular space formed therebetween in which anannulus of electric flame is created, the opposing walls of saidelectrodes being so formed as to direct a current of air outwardly in adirection substantially at right angles to the outer face .of saidelectrodes to effect the distension of said flame in a double walledtubular formation.

2. In an apparatus for the fixation of at mospheric nitrogen, a 'pair ofelectrodes havin an annular space formed therebetween in w ich anrannulus of electric flame is created, the 4outer faces of saidelectrodes being arranged in substantially the same plane and theopposing walls being so formed as to direct a current of air outwardlyin a direction substantially at right angles to the outer face of saidelectrodes and to engage the annulus of flame midway of its points ofemanation from the electrodes and distend said flame in a double walledtubular formation.

3. In an apparatus for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, an annularelectrode having a fiat outer face, and an electrode arranged centrallywithin the opening 1n the annular electrode and having a fiat outer facearranged :in substantially the same y plane as the outer face of saidannular electrode, said electrodes having their opposmg faces formed todirect a current of air outwardly in a direction substantially at rightangles to the fiat faces ofsaid electrodes and to engage an annulus ofelectric flame formed between said electrodes and distend it outwardluniformly from each electrode into a dou le walled formation.

4. In an apparatus for the fixation of aty inospheric nitrogen, a pairof electrodes having an annular space formed therebetween in which anannulus of electric flame is created, the opposing walls of saidelectrodes being so formed as to direct a current of air outwardly in adirection substantially at right angles to the outer face of saidelectrodes to effect the distention of said flame in a double walledtubular formation, and a tubu` in a double walled tubular formation, al

tubular casing extending` from the outer electrode and insulatedtherefrom, and a tubular cooling chamber arranged at the outer end ofsald tubular casing.

6. In an apparatus for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, an annularelectrode having a flat outer face and its inner wall formedsubstantially cylindrical, a substantially cylindrical electrode.centrally arranged in the opening in said outer electrode and formingwith said outer electrode a substantially arallel walled annularpassage, the outer at face of said central electrode being arranged insubstantially the same plane as the flat face of the annular electrode,and a tubular expanding and cooling chamber extending from said outerelectrode and insulated therefrom.

In testimony whereof. I affix my signature.

JAMES siMPsoN isLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing' the Gommissioner of Patents,

' Washington, B. C.

